


Won't Let You Go

by The_Renegade



Category: Jurassic Park - All Media Types, Jurassic World Trilogy (Movies)
Genre: A whole fuck ton of dinos, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alpha/Omega, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, BAMF Owen Grady, Boyfriends, But literally no dinos fucking, Come Here!, Complicated Relationships, Daddy Kink, Dinosaurs, Explicit Language, Explicit Sexual Content, F/F, F/M, Falling In Love, Fluff and Angst, Friendship/Love, Hide and Seek, Hiding, Horror, I Didnt Need To Tag That, Jealousy, Jurassic World Spoilers, Long-Distance Relationship, Love Triangles, Needs More Dinosaurs!, Non-Explicit Sex, Not Canon Compliant, Not explicitly at least, On the Run, Owen Turns His Back On The Cage, Post-Jurassic World, Pre-Jurassic World, Protective Owen, Psychological Horror, Raptor Parent Owen, Raptors, Running, Science, Science Boyfriends, Science Bros, The Trees Part, There's A Tag For That, Training, Trees, Veterinary Medicine, Want More Dinosaurs?, We've got the Dinos, Wow, Zoology, but i am, i dont think, pachycephalosaurus - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-29
Updated: 2019-01-31
Packaged: 2019-06-17 12:48:34
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 10
Words: 14,239
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15461721
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Renegade/pseuds/The_Renegade
Summary: When Charlotte (Charilie) Saunders gets the job of her lifetime at Jurassic World, the newly revamped dinosaur themepark, everything seems like it's coming up roses. But things get a little more complicated when a hot headed Raptor Wrangler comes onto the scene. And to make matters worse, the park reveales they are designing a new dinosaur, one the likes of which has never been seen before.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Alrighty folks. This is my first attempt at a Jurassic Park fic. I hope you like it. Pls let me know what you do or don't like, what you think I should improve, etc. Can't wait for your feedback!

_Five Years Ago_

Charlie stepped off the boat, sunshine bouncing off the waves so brightly that she had to take her aviators out of her backpack and slip them over her cornflower blue eyes. The breeze was also blowing warm air all around her body, whipping her shoulder length blonde hair all over the place. Thankfully, she was wearing slim, army green slacks instead of the white dress she had been considering earlier today. She looked up at the entrance to the monorail, wondering just what awaited her beyond the gates. The shifted the handle of her black suitcase nervously in her palm. Her hands were sweating from how nervous she was, though she tried not to display any of the doubt on her face that this may have been the wrong decision. She looked down at her outfit. It was simple enough, yet still professional. High-wasted army green slacks, a simple white blouse, and black kitten heels. It was professional, yet she could still get around in the field if she needed to. In the field....

She sighed, just thinking about her future position. She had been recruited as the head veterinarian for the park a little over a month ago, handpicked specifically for her studies in zoology and reptilian behavior. It felt good, honestly, to be hand selected for such a prestigious position. And, they were letting her name her own dinosaur to boot. Not a specific species, but a specific dinosaur after it hatched, would be all hers to name, to watch grow, to study. And she knew exactly what kind of dino she was harboring over.A pachycephalosaurus. She had loved the little dinos and their big round heads ever since she heard the book on tape, Little Proto, as a child. To say the job had its perks was the understatement of the year. 

As the one and only monorail currently running pulled up, she hopped up the stairs, two at a time, until she made it to the station, stepping inside the sleek, white train. It was empty aside from one man, sitting in the back, feet kicked up on the seat in front of him, jotting something down in some sort of notebook.

The park was currently on a trial run with some selected guests and reviewers allowed in attendance, so Charlie assumed it was just someone jotting down notes for their adventure blog or wherever it was people posted reviews these days. ‘Its all about social media presence’ one of the directors, Claire Dearing, had told her during one of her interviews for the position. To Charlie, that just meant thier lives would be under a very literal microscope. 

Nabbing a seat in the middle of the train, Charlie relaxed, looking out the window beside her as they slowly pulled away from the station. It was quiet inside the train, but she was certain the sleek, transportation unit wouldn't stay that way for long. As soon as doors officially opened to the public, she was almost certain things would be packed. Her day would be busy with the care and treatment of dinosaurs, as well as education of park goers. It wasn't often she would get a small moment of peace like this. So she sighed, allowing herself to enjoy it, to enjoy the small moment of silence, the peace, the calm. She was signing up for a whole new world, and she was excited for what was to come.

Suddenly, a figure slid into the seat beside her. She glanced up and over and met warm, green eyes that were looking her up and down. It was the man from the back row, wearing a loose, grey button up and a brown, leather vest. He clutched his notebook, now securely shut, in his lap. "Hey there miss," he said with a grin, eyeing the suitcase that was by her feet and the backpack she had. "Here as a guest to the park?" Heat filled her cheeks at the feeling of the weight of his gaze tore over her. 

"Something like that," she replied, trying to sound as cool as possible, giving him a matching once over. "What were you doing back there, writing an article for some newspaper? I hope all the reviews are good." She gave him a small, coy smile. What harm would a little bit of flirting with a stranger, whom she would likely never see again, do? Plus, this man was _hot_. The sleeves of his grey button up were rolled past his elbows, giving a sharp emphasis to his biceps. His skin was a golden tan, as if he spent almost all of his time out in the sun, out in nature. She always appreciated a man who loved nature, and he sure looked as if he did. 

He grinned, glancing down at his notebook, then back up at her with that smoldering gaze of his. "Ehhh, not quite," he replied, tapping the notebook against his knees. "But that's not too important. What _is_ important is how long you plan on spending time in this park." Alright, he was clearly flirting back, too. Charlie took this as a sign to continue on with her sweet tone.

“Long enough,” she winked at him. “At least, long enough that we should definitely grab a drink. To really get the park experience, of course.” 

“Of course,” he said back, not able to keep a smile off his face. “You name the time, the place, and I am all yours.” Just the sound of those words made her heart thump. Day one and she already had a date. Was it a date? She wasn’t sure. Could workers even go on dates with visitors? She would have to ask that question during orientation. She pulled out her phone and added it to the list of questions she had. Most of them were seriously, but some she just added to make herself laugh. 

“Here,” she said suddenly, handing her phone over. “Put your number in. I’ll call you.” As she handed her cell over, their fingers brushed, sending a buzz all the way up her arm. Who was this man? His seemed to have this energy around him, something saying he was good people, even if he was the type of man to approach a stranger on a train and sit right beside her without asking. She would remember to bring that up later, before drinks. When he handed her phone back, she glanced down at the name. “Owen,” it read. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Owen,” she said earnestly. 

“Oh trust me darlin, the pleasure is all mine,” he replied with a wiggle of his sandy brown eyebrows. “Also, you haven’t told me your name yet.” 

“Charlie,” she said with a smile, “I’m Charlie Saunders. And really, it’s great to meet a friendly face. Practically erased my nerves right away!” 

The two held friendly and flirty banter for the rest of the short right, until they pulled up to the main stop where headquarters was. Rising from her seat, Charlie smoothed out her pants. “Well, this is me,” she announced, waiting for Owen to move out of the way. 

“My stop too,” he said, surprising her. “Here, let me grab your suitcase. Chivalry isn’t really dead, scout’s honor.” Before she could reply, he swooped down and grabbed her suitcase. She hoped he could feel any remnants of her sweat on the handle.

As he walked away in, Charlie called out after him in protest. “Hey! I can carry that on my own, you know!” She insisted. “And you honestly don’t even know where I’m going.” She crosses her arms over her chest, raising an eyebrow at him. 

He stopped, thinking about it for a moment before shaking his head. “Saunders, you’re making my nice gesture look like shit,” he warned in a teasing tone. 

“How about you just walk with me?” She said as she brushed past him, snagging the handle of her bag as she did so and flashing him a wink. “It’ll be easier this way.” 

“Stubborn much?” He teased, but fell instep beside her, hands in the pockets of his khaki pants as she made her way to the Hammond Creation Lab. She was promised her own little Dino after all, why not see them day one? 

“You got a tour here or somethin?” The guy asked as she breezes through the sliding glass doors, stopping at the reception desk. 

“Or something,” she replied with a shy smile, signing her swooping signature next to a small print of her name. 

He gave her an odd look. “Surprisingly enough, so do I.” He stepped beside her, grabbing the sign in sheet and adding his own signature. “Seems like even fate wants us to keep talking. And get those drinks.” 

She blushed, trying to keep her gaze only on the receptionist as she was handed a small, white clearance badge that she could use to access the employee only areas of the complex. The receptionist then turned and handed one to Owen as well. Charlie’s eyes widened ever so slightly as her stomach dropped. 

Suddenly, a frosted glass door slid open and a woman with bright red hair, wearing a crisp, blue pantsuit carrying a couple folders strutted out, stopping when she saw them. “Ahh, Miss Saunders, Mr Grady. You’re on time. Perfect. Welcome to Orientation!” 

It was then Charlie knew for sure. The guy she had been eyeing up, flirting with the whole way, the guy she agreed to have drinks with, was her new coworker.


	2. Chapter 2

If Charlie wasn't sweating with nerves before, she sure was now. She had read plenty of packets to know that "intercompany dating" was not allowed on park premises. Not that she was planning on dating him. Just going on a date. Was it a date? Drinks. Just drinks. Yet, for some reason, she already felt like she was breaking the rules. The kind of rules that would get her fired all too quickly, and having that sort of shadow follow her reputation forever was not exactly in the game plan. No, she planned on working for this company for a long while, enough to gain a shining reputation. Enough to maybe publish her own book. To change the way zoos all over the world were run. To help animals thrive. 

"My name is Claire Dearing, I'm a Senior Assets Manager here at Jurassic World," the redhead introduced herself, shaking each of their hands with her perfect, soft, manicured hands. Her nails were a pale, creamy pink and shiny enough Charlie thought she could see her own reflection in them. "Now, each of you have been selected here for a specific reason. And that reason is very simple. Each of you has honed your skills to perfect precision. Charlotte, you're one of the worlds leading zoologists, which frankly, is impressive for someone of your age. Owen, after your time in the Navy, InGen caught your potential. They want you in charge of a special project here. Something very hush hush, but word has it that this project will cause attendance to skyrocket once it's released. So we have time to prep for that..."

"Charlotte?" Owen scoffed at her, grinning like a cat, as she elbowed him discreetly in the ribs. 

"But first, before we complete the tour...Charlotte, I believe there was promise of...naming your own dinosaur?" Claire said with a flat smile, linking her hands in front of her body. Clearly, she didn't find nearly as much excitement in this prospect as Charlie did. 

"Yup, that sure was part of the deal. You get my talents, I get a Pachy," she replied, pulling out a folder that had laminated copies of the agreement inside. "Do you have these? If not, I can make another copy." She offered eagerly. Her eagerness was apparent and Claire almost laughed at how excited she was (with her, not at her). 

"No, no, that'll be just fine. I've been fully briefed on the situation," Claire explained. "If you follow me, we're actually going to head into the Lab. They were able to time the hatching to literal perfection," she said proudly. "So it's actually happening right now." She checked her phone quickly, scrolling through some notes. "Umm, yes. Yep, we're right on schedule. Let's get in there so this little thing can imprint on you, or whatever it is that they do." She waved them forward, scanning her badge to open the glass door into the laboratory.

“They’re giving you a dinosaur?” Owen asked, the green monster in his voice clearly apparent, if unintentional. 

“Charlotte here requested it upon her interview. We wanted her talents. Yours will come in due time, Owen. In due time,” Claire explained. “Miss Saunders is one of the worlds up and coming zoologists with a focus on reptilian studies. Her use to us as a veterinarian will be incredible.” Charlie didn’t exactly feel comfortable having someone talk her up this way. Sure, she had put in her time, her years, her studies. Her published papers and disertations. That didn’t mean they needed to talk about it. 

So instead, Charlie turned her attention to the Labs. They were pristine and sleek, the highest technology for the times utilized to extract dinosaur DNA and develope embryos. Scientists were buzzing around in the glass room, working over beakers, measuring amounts of various liquids. Charlie watched them with fascination. Though she was glad her days wouldn’t be spent in the Lab, she liked to observe.

“Alright, in here is the Hatchery,” Claire gestured to another door. “Why don’t you head on in. They should be ready for you.” She checked her watch then looked back up. “Might want to make it quick.” 

Without needing any further suggestion, Charlie badged her security card and the doors slid open. Inside the small, circular, white room was a pedestal with a small, fake nest on it. In the nest was a large, tawny egg, which was wobbling ever so slightly. 

“Ahh, Miss Saunders, I presume?” A friendly looking Asian man greeted her. He was the only other man in the room with her. Smiling, he held out his hand for her to shake, which she did. “Your timing is impeccable. I’ll leave you alone with the egg, now, but the hatching process has begun.” As he made to exit the room, he paused at the door, adding in, “And welcome to the team, Miss Saunders. I think you’ll enjoy it here.” 

Charlie hardly heard him speak, she was so focused on that egg. That little thing inside, about to be born, about to see the world for the first time. It was all so beautiful.

She knelt down in front of the little table, staring at the egg intently as the small baby inside started to tap its way out. She could hardly contain her excitement. Of course, the hatching process wasn’t immediate, but she stayed for the whole thing, wanting to let that little Dino imprint on her. After all, she was going to be in it’s life for a long time, hopefully for the better. 

When the little thing finally crawled it’s way out of the egg, Charlie practically cried with excitement. She bent down and looked at the baby, which stumbled about, looking up at her and making the tiniest of cry sounds. Reaching into the nest, she held out one finger, rubbing it lightly on the cheek. Even as a baby, it still had a tiny dome on its head, with the tiniest of spikes surrounding it like a crown. It’s skin was grey with a splash of red running down the back, almost like a cape. “I’m going to call you ‘Red,’” she cooed softly as it bumped against her finger. Yea things were going to be okay here. At least, that was what she thought five years ago. That was then. 

This is now


	3. Chapter 3

_Present Day_

Charlie hit the mat with a hard 'thud,' wind heaving itself out of her lungs. She lay there in her black sportsbra and black shorts, panting. Today was another training day. She had them every Tuesday, before her show. They called it a show, but she thought of it as more of a class, really. A means of education with a sidenote of entertainment. She and Red were in charge of education the masses on the care and health of a Pachy. Then they would do a couple tricks, ride around a bit, and they would bow (that was a neat trick she had taught Red). But that didn't mean she enjoyed any of the training, the exercise, any of it. She would much rather just be out in the paddock, leaning against Red as he slept in the shade. 

Her instructor, Hanna Temple, extended a hand towards her. "Good round," she grinned, yanking her up from the floor. "Your hand to hand skills are getting really good, I mean it!" She said enthusiastically, even though that was technically her job. She was the personal trainer for Isla Nubla, and it was literally in her contract to keep up moral of those she trained. Charlie knew, because Hanna had shown her, both of them laughing over glasses of white wine. But, thankfully, Hanna meant her comments truthfully, because when she was training her friends, she was never short on the criticism. Charlie had heard her harsh words before, frankly it was very rare that she ever received praise from her friend. 

So she grinned, giving her friend a wink. "Must be my super good trainer," she teased. "But seriously, Hanna, thank you," Charlie said, as she always did when she wrapped up a lesson. "The stuff you make me do, the weight lifting, the boxing, the aerial acrobatics, it all helps me with my career. So I appreciate it."

Hanna rolled her eyes. "Yea, yea, yea. You remember that when I say drinks are on you tonight, Babe," she shot finger guns at her friend as Charlie slung a weight towel over her shoulder and walked off the pad. 

"Oh I'll remember, after I foot the bill of all the shots you buy for whichever cute girl catches your eye today," Charlie looked over her shoulder and stuck her tongue out. "But yes, I'll see you at Margaritaville at eight, okay?" 

"Oh the dot, sista," Hanna shot finger guns at Charlie, firing them playfully. Charlie smiled and left into the locker room.

It was time for a quick shower, then she'd put on her uniform and head out to the Pachy paddock. P-Squared, as Charlie often referred to it. After all, she had a performance in an hour. No time to spare. It was the mid day performance, "Educational Opportunity," as Charlie often reminded Claire and anyone else who called it a show. She and Red would show off the speed of a Pachy, she would teach them about the different dino facts and whatnot, and then they'd do their little performance. Red and Charlie had practiced that act so often Charlie was fairly certain she could do it with her eyes closed.

She had choreographed the act herself. After all, there was no one else who dared to ride a Pachy aside from her, so who was better to plan the routine? It was much like the routines often used in horse shows, the kind you would expect to see at the circus. Charlie and Red would be in their own, small, circular arena, outside of P-Squared. They would speed around the outside of the ring, Charlie in a specially designed saddle on his back. She would then stand up on the saddle as he ran in a circle, she would do a couple spins, then drop back to a seated position. From there came the really tricky part. she would strap her foot into a specific locked location on his saddle and dangle herself, backwards, over his side. Her hands would lay out, back, over her head and her fingertips would just ever so slightly brush the grass beneath them. She wouldn't feel safe doing it anywhere but their specific paddock, where all the rocks and debris had been removed from the area, and only with Red. 

Red had imprinted on her at birth, he essentially thought of her as his mother. He would never let her get hurt in any way, not if he could stop it. They had a bond that Charlie could almost physically feel when they were together. Then again, she had quite literally raised him from birth, so it wasn't all that surprising. They spent time together every single day. It was really just kind of like owning a big, prehistoric dog. 

Charlie dried herself off from the shower and slipped into her khaki safari shorts, and her cropped, tan safari shirt, and tied a little red scarf around her neck. She looked herself in the mirror, smoothing out her clothes and tying her blonde hair up into a high bun on top of her head, so it wouldn't drag on the ground later. She made that mistake once and finished her routine with a head full of grass, leaves, and bits of dirt. Never again. After she approved of her once-over, approved of her attire and made sure her hair was in place, she grabbed her backpack that held on to her headset, and the rest of her equipment, and headed out to her Jeep. It was almost showtime. 

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Charlie sat on the fence of her small arena, munching on a quick sandwich, glancing over her shoulder at where Red sat behind her, pulling leaves off a tree. Lunch time for both of them, so they could have energy to preform. The crowd was waiting patiently in a line up at the gate, Charlie could see them from her seat. Finishing her sandwich, she whistled to Red, and he came trotting happily over to the gate, waiting patiently. He knew from experience that the fence was electrocuted, that he had to wait. Charlie hated that they had to use electricity to keep the animals at bay. It was far too often that she had to treat them to burns from the fences. Charlie looked up at the guy in charge of the gate and gave him a thumbs up. Slowly, it slid open, giving Red the space he needed to come through into the paddock. Charlie stayed sitting on her fence, watching him quietly. She wanted to make sure he wasn't too amped up before she got down on ground level. Sure, he wasn't the biggest of the dinosaurs out there, only at six and a half feet tall, but he was seventeen feet long, with a tail that could accidentally pack a wallop if it swung the wrong way. 

When he seemed calm enough, Charlie slid off the fence, saddle over one arm, and made her way towards him. He padded slowly up to her, leaning his snout down and breathing heavily on her face, much like a horse. The hot air of his nostrils pushed back tendrils of her hair that had come loose, and he bumped her head lightly against her cheek. Charlie reached up and patted him on the nose. "There, there. Good boy. You know the treats come after the show." Carefully, she walked around his side, patting him as she did so, to make sure he knew where she was at all times. Then, she threw the saddle up onto his back, securing it snugly beneath his belly. "All good to go. Are you ready?" She asked, adjusting her microphone clipped to her collar. Of course, he didn't response. He couldn't really possibly know what she was asking. "Well, I sure hope so. Because I am, and that crowd of hundreds ready to fill the stands sure are. So lets give them a good show, yea?" She walked forward, looking over her shoulder for him to follow her up to her stand, which he did, ambling along lazily, stopping to bit at grass here and there.

As she stepped up onto the podium, the crowd started to flood into their seats in the stadium seating placed specifically for this reason. Once they were full, Charlie jumped up and waved. "Good morning, people of Jurassic World!" she greeted enthusiastically, planting her feet down and placing her hands on her hips. "My name is Charlie Saunders, and I'm the veterinarian here at Jurassic World! And the man of the hour, the one you guys are really here to see, is this big guy right beside me!" She gestured to her Pachy standing beside her, munching on leaves. "This is Red, my best friend at this park. Can anyone tell me what time of dino he is?" She waited as children in the crowd waved their arms about enthusiastically and one of the workers picked a kid from the crowd and brought them a microphone so they could answer. The kids were always so excited about this event, to get to see a Pachy up and close. She liked watching them, how happy they got. It made it all worth it, made taking time away from her studying, her work in the field, her practice.

The kid chosen, a shorter than average, brunette boy, jumped up and down excitedly, holding the big, black microphone in his hands. "Hi Miss Charlie!" He said into the mic, excitedly. "My name is Gray!" 

Charlie couldn't help but smile at his enthusiasm. It was constagious. From the podium, she gave a small wave. "Nice to meet ya, Gray! Hope you're enjoying your time here. Can you tell me what kind of dinosaur my friend Red here is?" she gestured over to Red, patting him gently on the snout. 

"He's a Pachycephalosaurus!" The kid said quicky, "From the Pachycephalosaurid family, he's a herbivore and his name means 'Thick Headed Lizard'!" He grinned like he had just won the lottery, married the woman of his dreams, and moved to Hawaii. Charlie blinked a couple times, plastering a big smile across her lips. This kid had literally just stolen all the other questions she had lined up, but it was fine. 

"Very good!" Charlie said enthusiastically. "That's exactly correct. Isn't that right, Red," she turned to the dino, patting his cheek again gently as he puffed hot air at her. "Now as a veterinarian, I also helped form his diet, and the diet for all the Pachys here in the park. He is a herbivore, but because of his teeth, he can't chew through really though, thick plants. So Red, and his friends, mostly eat soft leaves and seeds, and fruit on occasion." Red perked up at the word 'fruit,' thinking he was about to get a snack. "We're going to do some tricks for you guys now, and if you cheer loud enough, we'll give him some orange slices, yea?" 

The crowd erupted with a roar of approval. Everyone wanted to see a dino eat his favourite treat. Charlie nodded in approval, turning to Red and running her hand down his side. "Alright boy," she whispered, switching off the toggle on her mic. "You know the drill. Couple laps around the ring and you get all the oranges you can stomach. Which means two, because I'm not letting you have any more than that. You'll give yourself cavities." she laughed, resting her hand on his side and feeling the steady rhythm of his big, lizard heart. Even though she trusted this animal, knew he wouldn't hurt her, it was still a little nerve-racking climbing onto the back of this prehistoric beast. One wrong move and she would be dead. And that's what kept things interesting. 

Taking a big breath, she eased herself up onto the saddle, leaning onto Red's neck, whispering softly to him, reminding him it was just her, nothing to worry about. Then, she made a small click note with her tongue and off they went, breeze hitting her in the face as she smiled widely for the crowd. The show went exactly as planned, and soon she found herself dangling over Red's side, hands tickling the grass beneath them as the crowd oohed and ahhed. Then, crunching herself back up , she pulled herself into an upright position, steering Red back to her podium and sliding off his back. "Thank you for coming to the show, everyone!" she said, waving her hand enthusiastically above her head. "Please come back! And give Red here another big hand of applause!" As the crowd began to filter out of the stadium, Charlie slipped a hand into her pocket and pulled out a couple of orange slices, slipping them to Red as she took of his saddle. 

When she looked back up, she expected the seats to be empty.Instead, she saw two faces she had never expected to see at her show. Two faces of people who didn't particularly like her, not after all the drama that had gone down between the three of them. Claire Dearing and Owen Grady, staring back at her.


	4. Chapter 4

After making sure everything from her routine was finished, collected, and Red was doing fine back in P-Squared, Charlie sighed. Might as well get this over with. She squared her shoulders and turned around, marching out of the paddock and over towards them. 

“Miss Dearing, Mr Grady. What a surprise. What can I do for you? Cause I’m assuming you weren’t here just to watch me run a kickass routine.” She plastered on an overly cheery smile, even though the sight of the two of them made her skin crawl. She wanted nothing more than to go check up on the other Dinos she was currently monitoring for illness and recuperation, then go home, curl up in bed, and watch some Netflix(even though in the back of her mind she knew she still had to meet her friend for drinks tonight). 

Owen Grady scoffed. “Cmon now, Charlie. It’s been what? Five years, give or take. I think we’re clearly on a first name basis by now.” 

Charlie ignored him, keeping her eyes plastered on Claire. Claire was the one who would be giving her an assignment. Claire was the one here for her. Claire was the one she could still hardly look in the eye. It had been...what?... nearly a year now? Since everything had happened. And it still stung at Charlie’s pride. She could practically remember it like yesterday. 

Owen had asked her out for drinks. It was a date, right? Just the two of them. It ended at his house, in his bed. Charlie was pretty smitten, if she was being honest. And the next day, the next freaking day, he was giving Claire flowers and driving her around on his motorcycle, opening doors for her like what had happened with him and Charlie was a figment of her imagination. So she chopped them both right out of her life. She only ever interacted with them at work, and those interactions were rare, if ever. She liked it that way. She prided herself on perfessionalism. She didn’t like messy workplace drama, and liked it even less when she was in the middle of it. 

“I need you, for a job,” Claire said flatly, studying her pale pink nails before looking back up at Charlie. “We, the Park, are in need of your and Mr Grady’s expertise. We have a new, genetically modified dinosaur, and I want you to inspect it. See if it’s growth charts or whatever are progressing as they should, if it’s thriving in its environment.”

“Hold up,” Charlie said, closing her eyes and pinching the bridge of her nose, as she often did when stressed. She opened her eyes and looked back over at Claire. “You’re telling me your lab just went and _built_ a new dinosaur? That’s insane.” 

“That’s what I said!” Owen interjected. “See, she has brains. You might not listen to me, but maybe you’ll listen to her.” 

“I’m the only one with brains right now, as far as any of this in concerned,” Charlie placed her hands on her hips. Honestly, what were they thinking? Jurassic World has pulled some pretty risky ideas before but this was topping the charts. 

“Miss Saunders, all respect, but I am still your boss,” Claire pointed out. “The Park wanted a new attraction, and frankly, this is how we’re getting it. It’s not like all of the dinosaurs here weren’t slightly altered to begin with. None of them came with a perfect sample. This is just a different type of alteration. As much as you may not like it, it is a direct order that you come with and assess the asset.” 

“Understood,” Charlie replied bluntly. “Lead the way, then.” And while she tried to appear calm on the exterior, inside her heart was beating out of her chest.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The car ride was uncomfortable a silent. She took the back seat, allowing Claire to drive and Owen sit beside her in the passenger seat. She felt uncomfortable being in their presence at all. A lot of people would think it was silly of her to care that he had taken another woman out the day after they had slept together. They weren't dating, they weren't exclusive. They couldn't even date, relationships between coworkers was forbidden. Everyone in the park knew Owen was a flirt. But what stung the most, out of all of it, was Claire knew. Claire knew Charlie had always harbored a small crush on Owen, ever since that day they met on the train. She knew that Charlie was getting drinks with him. She knew everything. Because Claire and Charlie were friends then, emphasis on the _were_. 

Charlie looked out the window as they drove along the bumpy road, trying to keep herself from thinking about that week. She spent most of it, after spying Owen and Claire speeding off on his motorcycle, drunk. She had never experienced a hangover as bad as the one she had felt that week, and didn't intend to take herself back to that place.

When they pulled up to the enclosure, far north of the Park, Charlie finally spoke again. "Well, at least you have the sense to keep it away from people." Her words came out cold, and harsh, and exactly as she had intended them. This whole project was a mistake as far as she was concerned. 

"Well, of course," Claire said in a matter of fact tone. "We can't really let people see it yet, not until we make the official release statement. As far as the outside world is considered, it doesn't even exist." She unbuckled her seatbelt and slid out of the car, marching off towards the stairs that lead to a secure, glass enclosure near the top of the high, cement walls. 

As Charlie stepped out of the Jeep, she looked up and the pasture. It was nothing like that of the gentle herbivores she loved. It reminded her of the T-Rex paddock, but worse. Taller, bigger...more fortified. "What the fuck do they have in there?" she muttered to herself, surveying the bulletproof glass room that Claire had just entered. 

"I was asking myself the same thing," Owen drawled, stepping beside her, his towering height high above the top of her blonde head. "How have you been, Charlie?" He asked her casually, as if they weren't standing in front of the ominous structure, about to see some deadly, man made dinosaur. 

"I'm _fine_ , Owen," she said, punctuating the word. "I don't have time for small talk, we have work to do." She brushed past him, narrowly bumping into him as she did so. She could smell him, that strong, spicy, male scent from the cologne and hard days work, that always seemed to seep off of his skin. She didn't feel like she could ever let her guard down around him or it would overtake her, and who knew what she might do. Something she would regret the next day? Well, she had already done that. She shook her head, trying to clear the thoughts, as she marched straight for the stairs, taking them two at a time. 

Opening the door to the glass room, she was met with a blast of air conditioning, Claire's look of distaste, and a lazy looking security guard who was muching on a slim jim and not exactly paying attention to the security feed in front of him. Typical. On the other side of the glass was the inside of the circular enclosure. It was almost entirely full of trees, one small clearing open, where some sort of device had been set up to deliver food to the dinosaur. 

"So what exactly are we looking for here?" Owen's voice came from behind her, causing her to jump. 

Claire smiled, straightened the sleeves of her jacket, and spoke, "We call it the Indominus Rex."


	5. Chapter 5

Charlie stepped forward to the glass, peering out into the foliage. She saw no signs of movement, no signs of anything at all, aside from the occasional breeze ruffling the trees. Almost as if there was nothing in there, at all. Even in large pens, you could almost always find the dinosaur pretty easily, especially if it was one of this size. She leaned forward, resting her head against the glass, squinting, searching and searching for something that just wasn't there. "Is this some sort of joke?" Charlie asked, whirling to glare at Claire, crossing her arms over her chest. "I've got rounds to be doing. Patients to be taking care of." She raised a precisely manicured eyebrow at the redhead. This wasn't some sort of funny joke to her. She was being forced to spend time, with people who made her uncomfortable, allegedly doing work, when there was literally nothing to see. 

Owen slid beside her, holding up his hand and signaling to stand down. He knew more than most that Charlie could go from sweet and composed one minute to spitting mad the next. She had no real inbetween. Her emotions were always very easy to read, very poignant. She felt everything fast, and hard, and for the most part, without any regret. And if he could guess, by the way the bridge of her nose was scrunching up, she was about to lose her damn mind. “I think Claire understands we’re both very busy people, Charlie,” Owen said slowly, for a moment considering jokingly calling her by her full name, but deciding at the last minute to bite his tongue. That could be the thing which would lead her to storm our, take the Jeep, and leave him out here alone with nothing but a long ass home ahead of him. “Claire,” Owen turned to face Ms Dearing. “What exactly are we supposed to be looking for?” There was a twinge of annoyance in his own voice that he didn’t even bother hiding. The whole dog and pony show wasn’t really his style. 

“It should be out there,” Claire stepped forward, pushing past Charlie and standing at the glass, tapping at it lightly, trying to get the attention of something that clearly wasn’t there. Turning to face the security guard, she put her hands firmly on her hips and eyed him up and down, “Well, where is it?” She asked pointedly. This trip up to the northern side of the island wasn’t all fun and games for her either. She had meetings to be attending. Piles of paperwork to sign. As easy breezy as she tried to make her job appear, everything was run on a tight clock, the timer of which was rapidly running down. 

The security guard sat up straighter in his desk and began clicking at his computer, pulling up a live feed that was used to track the dinosaur’s tracking implant. It would be able to pinpoint exactly where in the cage this dinosaur was. Charlie, arms crossed over her chest, took a couple steps forward, peering over his shoulder at a devastatingly blank screen, searching endlessly in circles for a blip that just refused to appear. 

The blonde’s heart sunk rapidly into her stomach as she stared at the screen, blinking rapidly. There was absolutely nothing in that pasture. “It’s um...It’s not here,” the security guard stammered, on the verge of a panic. He hadn’t been paying the closest of attention these past few hours, but he was pretty damn sure he would have noticed the thing escape. 

Owen snapped his fingers as all heads turned to face him. He pointed out the glass window at a long series of claw marks leading all the way up the glass. “How long have those been there?”

Charlie looked up at the claw marks, long and pronounced, digging deeply into the cement walls, leading from bottom to top. Her dismay only grew. The marks could only mean one thing. “Has it only ever been her here?” She asked quietly, eyes flicking over to Claire. 

Claire blinked, looking from the marks over towards Charlie. “Um, no,” she replied quietly. “She...had a brother. After they hatched she, um. Well, she ate him.” She said finally, clasping her hands together in order to keep herself from wringing her fingers. 

“So you created a brand new, carnivorous dinosaur, and she grew up in isolation. No social interaction. And now she’s escaped,” Charlie said, words firing out of her mouth like bullets. “Do you see where this is headed? Do you understand what I’m trying to say?” She honestly couldn’t believe Mr Masrani had okayed this ridiculous act of playing god. She thought she knew him, thought he knew better. But money was a dangerous seductress, as was power, and the biggest flirt of all was seeing excitement in the eyes of others over something you created. 

After Charlie fired the questions towards her, Claire stood there blinking, unsure of what to reply. She looked over at the security guard’s screen again, then back at Charlie, then over at Owen, unsure of how to reply. 

“What she’s trying to say,” Owen began, glancing over at Charlie for a moment, brows furrowed. “Is that she is seeing this all for the first time. The only relationship she has ever had is with her food delivery system. The only thing she understands is she has to eat. And now she is out there,” he threw his arm out, gesturing towards the direction of the park. “Figuring our exactly where she is in the food chain.” His words struck Claire and she inhaled sharply. 

The redhead then looked down at her watch, then back up at the two of them. “I need to get back to the control center. You two, stay here. I’ll be back, after we have Asset Containment out and on their way.” She looked at the two of them a moment, before walking briskly for the door and disappearing down the stairs. Charlie sighed, flopping herself down to one of the spare rolling chairs against the back wall. 

The park had created a new Rex. A new carnivore, now on the loose in the park. Surely, Command Center would be able to track her from base. But she didn’t like to think about it. Didnt like to think about Red, all by himself, unaware something could be hunting him and his herd. She pressed a finger to her lower lip, trying to think to herself of what a valid solution could be. Hell, if Claire even made it back before the storm broke and the beast, wherever she was, ate something. As she looked down at the floor in front of her, a pair of boots ambled into view. She looked up, and there Owen was, looking down at her, hands on his hips. 

“We’re going to go check out the marks inside the paddock,” Owen explained, jutting his thumb at the security guard, signifying the guy planned on joining him. Probably was hoping for some sort of redemption from missing a giant prehistoric lizard scaling the fence earlier that day. “Even though it’ll probably be pretty safe around here, I’d feel better if you stay up here,” he gave her a simpathetic smile, not wanting her to think she couldn’t handle herself. Owen was very well aware that Charlie Saunders was ever the woman who could handle herself. “I’ll have one of the radios, but keep an eye on that one. If you see anything, anyone calls you, give me a call okay?” He asked. 

When Charlie looked up at him, she caught a glimmer of something she had never seen in Owen’s eyes. She had known the guy for five years now, and even when working with his raptors, she had never seen a flash of fear cross over his green orbs. But she did that day, and that was what made her sit up straight and nod. If Owen was truly afraid, shit was definitely about to get bad, though she couldn’t entirely place her tongue on why he would give two shits about whether or not she was safe. They weren’t exactly close. And Owen wasn’t exactly sentimental. 

“Okay, yea, I’ll stay here,” she muttered, pressing her lips into a thin line and looking away at him, back at the screen of the computer that still scanned blankly for nothing. She didn’t end her sentence with “though I don’t see how that effects you either way,” even if she was thinking it. And it was almost as if he could feel the words of her unfinished sentence hanging in the air. 

“Charlie...” he said quietly, trying to get her to look back up at him, but to no avail. He sighed, rubbing a hand over his face before turning to look at the security guard. “Let’s go and get a quick look, and then we’ll be right back.” He glanced at Charlie once more, before throwing out a hasty, “Just stay safe,” before he also disappeared out the door, leaving Charlie alone with nothing but her thoughts, the radio, and that giant glass window staring out into the empty trees. 

When Owen and the guard reached the bottom of the stairs, he radioed up for her to open the gate, and she pressed the big red button and typed a quick code to override the security and the large, reinforced, metal doors slid open slowly. He gave her a wave from below as he and the guard entered the pen. She didn’t bother closing them, after all, what was there to worry about letting out now? That had already been accomplished. 

She swallowed with dread, glancing down at Owen, where he was running his fingers over the claw marks. Sighing, she pulled out her phone and opened up her message app, penning a quick message to Hanna. ‘Stay inside.’ Her message wrote, and she could see Hanna already typing back after she hit send, but she didn’t have time to respond, as the radio crackled to life with Claire’s voice. She shoved her phone back in her pocket and picked up the radio, turning the volume higher. 

“Repeat please,” She radioed back quietly, noticing Owen glance down at his radio as her voice crackled through on his end as well. She waited, quietly, looking down at the radio, until Claire’s voice echoed back. 

“It’s still in the pen! Get them out of there!” She was shouting, her voice coming through slightly broken, but sure as hell, she made out what she was saying. But Owen was still looking at the wall, her words must not have made it to him. “Charlie, do you hear me?” Claire’s voice rang through again, “Get them out of there!” Claire was trying to remain calm, but this was quickly becoming the most catastrophic day she had experienced on the island since her internship. 

“Understood,” Charlie replied quickly, while she waved her hands frantically, trying to get Owen’s attention. Something with the cement must have made it difficult to hear the radio clearly. The blonde looked frantically throughout the room for a button for the loud speaker, and as she found it, she looked up at the glass once more, catching sight of the thing that made her words catch in her throat. There she was. The Indominus Rex, peering out of the foliage, teeth more threatening than anything Charlie had ever seen, saliva dripping from them in strands onto the leaves beside her, golden eyes flicking as they landed upon Owen and the guard. For a moment, only a moment, Charlie was petrified. Then she slammed her palm down on the big button, shouting as she did so, “Owen, run!”


	6. Chapter 6

_Four Years Ago_

 

“Come on, Grady,” Charlie grinned, grabbing his upper arm and tugging him forward, towards the large enclosure in front of them. “We’re going to be late. And you know how Oscar and the rest of security feel about that,” she rolled her eyes, still smiling. When she glanced over at him, he was grinning down at her, green eyes twinkling. It wasn’t every day someone performed a medical procedure on a Tyrannosaurus Rex, nor was it every day someone got to come watch. 

Charlie had been prepping for this event for the entire past month. Rexy had a tooth abscess, she was going to remove the tooth, clean the gap, and with their studies, the tooth would grow back. Granted, she was going to have to use a pretty massive pair of pliers to yank the thing out, but the T-Rex was going to be heavily sedated, and because of the damage to her gum area that the abscess had caused, and based on their studies, it wasn't going to be entirely difficult to take care of. The big danger was if she woke up, which shouldn't have really been a possibility. The Lab had worked extremely hard to make sure that wasn't a possibility, but nevertheless, Charlie wasn't letting any of her vet techs near Rexy when she made the extraction. 

But Owen was allowed to watch. He wanted to see some of the things she did, and of course, he wanted to watch during the most risky operation she had performed since she arrived on Isla Nublar. Of course he needed to. He was ever protective the blonde, ever since the day he had met her. For someone who was doing the work he did, Charlie always found it a little ridiculous. She may not have found it so ridiculous if she saw the way he looked at her when she wasn't looking, the way he thought she lit up the entire theme park. So yea, he felt the need to be there. He sort of wanted to make sure she made it out alive. Not that he liked to admit it, but the rough around the edges raptor trainer was just the tiniest bit smitten. Just the tiniest bit. 

"You sure this is the best idea?" Owen asked her for what seemed like it was hundredth time, letting her drag him towards the enclosure. He probably would have let her drag him anywhere in the facility if she asked enough. Enough being one time. Two at the most. One of those cheeky smiles from her would get him to do whatever. 

"Yes I'm sure. Moreover, it's my job," she rolled her eyes as they approached the enclosure. The walls of the paddock were incredibly tall, tall enough to cover the tops of the trees, and made of cement and reinforced with steel beams. Attached to the side of the walls was the small viewing station, like a little bunker attached on the edge, fully fortified and ready for the veterinarian and her friend to enter. From inside, they would be able to see the inside of the paddock, focused on the small clearing where feeding took place. Theoretically, Rexy would be sound asleep, fully sedated, in that clearing. That was supposed to be taken care of before she arrived, but if she was late, it could effect the threshold of how long she had to preform the operation.

"Well if it's so safe, why not let one of the mini-you's do it?" Owen quipped back, hoping up the stairs behind her, two at a time, waiting for her reaction, a cheeky grin of his own spreading over his lips.

As if on queue, she whirled around, stray strands of her light blonde hair which had escaped her ponytail flying about her face as she did so. Her brow was furrowed, shooting him a glare, but eventually a smile cracked over her face. "Because I want them to learn by observing, not throwing them in overboard. No one has done a procedure like this yet, I want to make sure that it's done properly, so when we have to do it again, everyone knows the right and safe way." She gave him a playful pat on the cheek. "This is literally my job. It's not like you don't dance around your raptors every day. This is small fish, Owen." 

He rolled his eyes but didn't argue any further. The two of them made their way into the bunker, a team of security guard, armed with stunners to the teeth, stood at attention waiting for them. Several of her Veterinarians were sitting, reclined in chairs, looking at their phones and tablets. When their boss entered, they all immediately straightened, tucking away their electronic devices and smiling or nodding at their boss. It was still odd for Charlie to think of herself as 'the boss.' Sure, she had held high positions before. She was very well regarded for her theory and practice in veterinary medicine, but she had never been _in charge_. Hell, some of her employees were her elder. But she smiled at all of them regardless, waving away their formalities.

And then she looked out of the glass, and there she was. Rexy. Laying there, breathing slowly, in all her magnificent, reptilian glory. Clearly, safely, sedated. "Well," Charlie smiled, looking out at Rexy, brushing her hand over the glass as if she were petting the beautiful beast. Clearly, the Lab had done their job. "Best get started then. We have limited time and lots to do." Charlie grabbed a large, industrial set of heavy pliers from one of the vets and nodded at the soldiers. "Owen, you can stand back with the others if you want to watch. Lia," she looked at one of the vets, a raven haired girl around her age, with thick rimmed, red glasses, and raised one thin eyebrow. "You keep him in line. Anything goes wrong, make sure he's out first please. No heroics today." 

Owen opened his mouth to protest, but Charlie held up one singular finger. "I don't want any lip from you, Grady. You're on my turf now." She gave her crew another nod, slung the pliers over her shoulder, and indicated for the soldier crew that they were clear to open the gates. 

After entering a complex pattern onto a keylock, then scanning his thumb, one of the guards nodded at her in affirmation, then pressed a large button underneath a small, glass case. A low rumbling sound was made as two large pieces of brown metal began to separate in front of them, then behind it, another sharp slab of metal slid up from the ground, and a waft of fresh air breezed into the bunker, tossing Charlie's bangs about. She nodded in affirmation at the guard, who would be watching by at the exit, stunners ready, just in case. Charlie didn't like to think about the 'just in case' scenario. It wouldn't happen. Everything would be fine. 

After they got several feet into the paddock, Charlie signaled her vets to stay put, keeping Owen with them, and she continued quietly forward, tiptoeing, even though it really wasn't necessary. Rexy would be well asleep, perfectly and healthily sedated, so Charlie could do her job properly and safely, and make sure that Rexy could continue leading a healthy, happy life. It would be painless, or at least as painless as medically possible. And after her tooth was pulled and safely cleaned, it would leave plenty of space for a new tooth to grow into its place. 

And when she reached the great, big, sleeping lizard, she wasn't afraid. She wasn't afraid because she trusted her teammates, and she knew what she was doing was of utmost importance. She was helping heal another creature on this planet. She was doing good work. That was always how she saw her job, as good work. As helping others in need, regardless of if they were human or animal. She got to work, skimming some of the deteriorated tissue off of the gums and placing it in a bag attached to her belt. It would be tested, for hopefully future prevention. And then she gripped the tooth in the pliers, looking at the black lines that ran through it. Rotted. She gave a mighty tug, and the gums gave way, knocking her flat on her ass as the tooth came out, leaving an empty socket behind. She placed that in the pouch as well, then got to work cleaning out the wound with antiseptic, making sure it was healthy and ready for a new tooth to grow back. 

She stood up, dusting off her knees and patting Rexy softly on the cheek, turning back to her team and giving them a thumbs up. It was time to roll out. She watched them file, one by one, back inside as she walked towards the exit. It was then, that she heard the sound behind her.


	7. Chapter 7

_Present Day_

"Close the gate!" Owen shouted over the radio as he took off towards the large cement doors, legs and arms pumping as he glanced up at Charlie in the glass prison above him. They needed to get the hell out of here, their only hope was trapping the beast lumbering behind him inside its containment gates. He glanced over his shoulder at the beast that was chasing him and the guards across the ground between him and freedom. It was almost like a T-Rex. Almost, but more...catlike? It had spiky osterderms covering it's back, tiny horns above its eyes, and was at least twenty feet tall. It's arms were much longer than that of a T-Rex, and more well-formed, with long, terrifying curved claws. And she looked hungry. She lashed out with one of her front claws and scooped up one of the guards running behind him, stopping to drop the man into her mouth with a sickening crunch.

Charlie was seeing all of this from above, and was almost frozen in fear for a second. Then, she was slamming down the emergency 'gates closed' button and sprinted for the stairs, throwing open the door. Instead of even wasting time taking the steps, she placed her butt on the railing and slid down precariously, practically running into Owen at the bottom of the stairs. His hand wrapped like a vice around her wrist and he yanked her forward as the sprinted towards a vehicle. Charlie glanced behind them just in time to see the Indominus Rex shove her way between the almost closed gates, grinding the gears, stopping the closure, breaking the cement into pieces. She was out...for real this time. Charlie let out a short scream as Owen pulled her forward, shoving her to the ground and dragging their bodies beneath one of the jeeps that sat outside. Owen pulled his coworker on top of him, pushing a finger to her lips, ordering her to be silent. Then he reached up up behind her, small pocket knife in hand, and sliced at one of fuel lines above them, dousing their bodies in gasoline. 

The thunderous steps of the I-Rex halted beside them. As Owen held Charlie close to him, neither of them dared to breath. Turing, they could see the security guard from earlier hiding behind one of the trucks, quivering and whimpering. He saw them, but didn't move. He couldn't move. There were tear-tracks down his cheeks. Suddenly, the Indominus swiped the vehicle that he was hiding behind, tossing it away as if it were nothing but a toy truck. It leaned down, its mouth wrapped around the guard before he could even scream. Charlie squeezed her eyes shut, not wanting to watch. This. This right here. Was her absolute worst nightmare. Owen's grip around her waist tightened as the Rex turn and walked slowly, purposefully, towards the vehicle they hid beneath. 

Her head lowered down the the edge of the Jeep, rows of teeth only a foot away from them, nostrils flaring as she breathed in, smelling for them. Thankfully, Owen had thought quickly with the gas. The two reeked of it, and of nothing else. As the giant lizard breathed in, it could smell nothing but fuel. The lips on the dinosaur pulled back, revealing blood and saliva, dripping gobs onto the ground. Thank God it was too low for its eye to peer under and see them. Charlie thought she might faint from the lack of oxygen when finally the Rex lifted her head and stalked off, footsteps echoing in the distance.

Finally, Charlie was able to let out a sob. She buried her head into Owen's chest, his warm skin that peaked out at the crown of his v-neck gentle against her wet cheeks. He held her, tightly, brushing his hand gently over her hair, down her back, keeping her safely next to him. 

"Shh, Saunders. We're okay. Everything is going to be alright. We got where we needed to be," He whispered in her ear as the emotions overwhelmed her. Yes, they worked at Jurassic World. But it wasn't every day the were faced with literal death. They could have died. Both of them. Two guards had. This was not normal. "We're going to be fine, you and me. You just need to trust me." 

"Trust you?" She managed to spit out, pulling her head up to look at him, nearly banging her skull against the floor of the jeep. "We don't even know each other anymore, Owen. How am I supposed to _trust_ you?" her voice came out in a whisper, still worried the Indominus was out there somewhere, lurking in the trees, waiting for her to give away their hiding spot, so she could eat them both. 

Owen sighed, "I'm not getting into this right now, Charlie. You're the one who fucking disappeared on me. One day, everything was good, next day, it was like Charlie Saunders didn't exist anymore...." he sighed, running a hand over his face, then looking back up at her. "Listen, we can't be fighting right now. You need to just trust me, as difficult as that apparently is for you. I won't let you go. We're going to get through this. We just need to get back to HQ. I'm sure Claire has already lit a fire under everyone's asses to get this handled. And if not, we sure as shit are about to." 

Charlie rolled off of him, sliding out from under the Jeep, rolling her eyes to herself at his comment on Claire. Of course he'd be thinking about her right now. Charlie hated that stupid jealousy was still at the forefront of her mind when she had almost _died._ It was stupid and petty. For now, she'd stick with him. Until everyone was safe. "Fine," she said, opening the door to the Jeep and climbing inside, as he clambered into the driver's seat. "Also, thank you," she said begrudgingly. He had saved her after all. He deserved that much.

Owen looked over at her, silent for a moment, which was a first. Looking as if he was about to say something, but the words never formed. Finally, he started the car, and the two drove off silently, into the woods where the Rex had disappeared.


	8. Chapter 8

_Four Years Ago_

Charlie nearly tumbled to the ground and she ran across the opening of the paddock, as the terrain beneath her shook and Rexy rose from her place. The tranc either hadn’t been strong enough, or the pain had strong enough to stir her out of slumber. And she was upset. Charlie could see it in her eyes, as they landed on Charlie, recognizing her as _food_.

She had taken of running the second she heard Rexy stir, saw her eyes blink open and land on her. She had limited time to make sure they all got out of here okay. 

“Close the gates!” The vet shouted at the soldiers who were standing by, stun guns at the ready. The last thing she wanted was them shooting the T-Rex. It would set back any progress, any trust, that they had made with the giant, beautiful carnivor. “Close them now!” She could feel the earth rumble beneath her as Rexy took a large step in her direction, already beginning to cover the headway Charlie had made. 

Thankfully, she saw the main gate start to lower in front of her, sharp as a guillotine. She could hear Owen screaming her name as she sprinted across the dirt, narrowing avoiding roots and rocks. Every fiber of her being, her human survival instinct, was kicking in and powering her body forward, moving more quickly than she ever had in the past. This was a live or die moment, the first of many she would have here at the park. 

When she got close enough to the gate, she dropped to the ground, sliding across the gravel, legs scrapping on the rocks beneath her. She tucked her arms close and slid _just_ under the gate, her golden locks not being quite so lucky. The gate, sharp as a knife, sheered her long blonde hair off at her shoulders. She lay there, shaking, looking at the gate behind her head. The gate which could have quite literally cut her in two. Rexy’s thunderous roar shook the building around them. 

The other vets were standing, staring at her on the cool cement floor of the bunker, looking at her bleeding legs, her sloppily chopped hair, her flushed cheeks. Some were crying. Charlie didn’t like all of the eyes on her, she didn’t like being their spectacle. “Go get me some bandages!” She barked out, her voice shaking. “I need to wrap my legs!” The vets and interns scattered, and Charlie propped herself up, hands shaking. 

Suddenly Owen was there, pulling her up from the ground, crushing her in a bear hug. “Jesus Fuck, Saunders! What the fuck were you thinking?” He practically shouted at her, his voice muffled by his arm as he hugged her tightly. Then, he held her back at an arms length, his eyes, sad and green, searched for something inside hers. The one look made her lose it, the floodgates broke and tears tumbled down her red cheeks. 

She buried her head in his chest once more, sobbing into him, her hands clenching tightly to the front of his shirt. She had almost died. Died. She understood her job had risks, but this was the first time she had ever faced near death. As she sobbed into his chest, Owen shooed away an eager intern who had run back in, bandages in hand. He would take care of her, when the moment was right. Right now, she just needed to let it all out. 

And he held her as she did, for several minutes, he held her tight, brushed her hair, whispered gentle words into her ears. He let her recover from the shock of what had just happened. When she stopped crying, he released her, looking at her once more. She rubbed at her red eyes, and blinked up at him. “What now?” She asked softly. 

“Now, we go get your interns to patch you up, get you to the real docs, then file a fucking report on how the lab majorly fucked this one,” retorted, slipping her small hand into his large one. She liked the feeling of his large, warm, callused hand holding hers tightly. He lead her out of the bunker and into the sunlight. 

Things were going to be fine. They had been close, and there would be further things that would be close. But today, today things were fine. Owen was here with her, she was alive, everything was okay. But damn, she sure did need a drink. 

“Hey Owen?” She asked, from the passenger seat of the silver Jeep as he drove them to the medical facility. 

“Yea?” He asked, glancing her way, worry creasing his brows. 

“Can we go get Margs after they patch me up? I need some alcohol, stat.” She sighed, leaning back against the seat and flashing him a small smile. 

“Music to my ears, Charlie,” he laughed, as they drove under a canopy of trees, dappled sunlight splashing over their bodies. Charlie wasn’t even worried about her scrapes at this point. She was content. 

—————————————————————————————————————————

“Strawberry, iced please,” Charlie smiled at the bartender inside of Margaritaville. “And one regular with a side of Corona. And. You know what, two shots of tequila as well, with lime.” Might as well. Neither of them had to work again till late tomorrow. She had almost died, why the hell not have a drink or three?

Charlie smiled happily at the bartender and slid her Jurassic World credit card across the counter, charging all of her drinks towards the Masrani cooperation. She’d advise Mr Masrani at a later date. Not that he would notice or care. After the ordeal today, what would he say? Nothing, that’s what. 

The bartender brought her drinks to her on a tray, and she carried them back outside to the table Owen had snagged. It was a miracle they had managed to get one, what with all the tourists bustling around these days. The opening of Jurassic World had been a hit, to say the least, and the hits just kept coming. People couldn’t get enough of the remote attraction. Even with moments like earlier today, Charlie loved it all. She loved the nature, she loved her coworkers, she loved Red. 

Setting the tray down gently, or as gently as she could when they were already two drinks in, she grinned at Owen. “Hope you’re ready for more,” she teased. 

“Saunders,” Owen drawled, “There will never be a day in your life when you can outdrink me.” He cracked open his beer and took a sip, then took a hearty drink from his marg as well, licking his lips with satisfaction. Charlie caught herself watching the pattern of his tongue over those smooth, full lips of his, and quickly looked away, a hint of red slipping over her cheeks. 

She plopped herself down into her chair and threw her feet up on the railing beside her, reclining in the sun and sipping from the straw in her strawberry drink. “Sounds like a challenge I’m up for,” she said back, slightly flirtatious. What the hell, right? You only live once.

When she looked across the table, he was staring right back at her, challengingly. She grinned over at him and shot him a wink, taking another sip of her drink. “Ready for these shots then?” She nodded at the table where the silver liquid sat tantalizingly in the small cups. 

“Whenever you are,” he challenged back, flashing that cheeky grin of his. 

Both of the adults reached for their shot glass, clinking them together loudly. Watching one another, the two each knocked back the shot, cool liquid dancing down their throats.


	9. Chapter 9

_Present Day_

The jeep crashed over the dirt road as Charlie clung to the Oh Shit bar above her head. As Owen hit another pothole, Charlie reached over and clamped her hand down on his wrist. "Owen." she said through gritted teeth, looking over at his with narrow eyes. "I understand that you want to get there quickly, but it won't do anyone any good if we die _in a car crash_ on the way there." They hit another hole and Charlie was physically launched upwards out of her seat. Thankfully, her seatbelt kept her in place.

"I won't let us die," Owen rolled his eyes, narrowing his gaze on the road. The pressure and warmth of her hand on her bare skin made it difficult for him to focus, or at least more difficult than he wanted it to be. "Can you move your hand, I can't drive like that. Blocks my range of motion," he used the excuse quickly, noticing the way it caused her to recoil, to hold her hands tightly together in her lap. Mentally, he cursed himself for pushing her away again, though he still wasn't entirely sure why she had up and fucking disappeared on him in the first place. Everything was going _great_ between them, by Owen's standards, excellent. It wasn't that often that he got romantically interested in someone. And then overnight, everything turned on a dime. Everything between them because strictly business. She didn't text him to grab her coffee anymore, didn't invite him over for beer and bad TV. And he still never knew what exactly had happened.

He wanted to ask, he really was tempted to. But was now the right time? During this emergency, and everything which was about to happen?

Fuck yes it was, they had literally almost _died_ back there, because of Masraini's stupid idea of entertainment. This day had the potential to be a giant fucking mess. But maybe he should wait, just a bit, at least for them to get back to safety. They were still sitting ducks right now, driving this noisy car through the jungle, when who knows _where_ that giant fucking cryptid creation was. If they survived today, he'd ask. He would ask her why she up and disappeared. He hadn't done a damn thing wrong. In fact, he was pretty certain he had done almost all of them right.

Charlie stared out of the window, watching the trees roll by. At least they weren't near the Pachy Paddock. That was further southwest, out of the way of the path the I-Rex had taken. So Red would be safe. But she thought about some of the other dinosaurs, the gentle giants, unaware that death was looming so close. It made her heart drop. Some of her patients were out there, in danger. They needed to get the ACU on this, immediately. 

“What do you think is going to happen?” She asked quietly, still gazing out of the window, looking for any signs of movement. While she mostly meant what was going to happen about this specific incident, part of her wondered what was going to happen with the future. Jurassic World. Her job. This was the first major event to happen since....well, since before the park opened. This was her way of life, working here. What would happen to the team? Her friends who were now like family? What would happen to Red? 

But of course, Owen couldn’t know all the thoughts swirling like a drainpipe around her head. So he answered the question she was asking. “We’re going to get to HQ, and if Claire hasn’t already, we’re going to shut this shit down.”

It was comforting, honestly, how sure he was. How reliable. He didn’t give away any sign of doubt, if he was feeling it. Charlie felt the exact opposite. Unsure. Worried. She didn’t like that everything was out of her control. And she hated seeming worried. This wasn’t her first brush with death. She was no spring chicken. She furrowed her brow as she watched the foliage pass by, bumping along at a slightly slower pace. She sighed, and turned to look back at Owen. “On second thought, let’s pick up the pace.” 

He shook his head slightly, muttering something to himself, then he stepped on the gas, dirt kicking up beneath the wheels of the vehicle.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The two employees of the Park jogged down the halls, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, and headed towards the Control Room. The door in front of them was slowly falling shut as a Security Officer entered the room that they so desperately needed to be in. Neither of their badges would work, after all. Neither of them were cleared to access the Control Room. Neither of them had that level of Security clearance.

Charlie kicked into full gear, powering towards the door and sticking out her foot, hooking the edge of it around her toes, before it could slam shut. Owen grabbed the handle, giving her a grin as he helped her steady herself, then the two of them stormed into the room, practically bringing the flames of Hell with them, the pair were so angry. Heads turned, swiveling to lock eyes on them. Claire was one of the first, and a relieved smile crossed her lips when she saw her and Owen standing there. Probably more happy about Owen, Charlie thought to herself, though this was really not the time. She couldn't quite help the bitterness, it was second nature at this point. But now, now was not the time.

"You guys made it, thank God," Claire placed a hand over her heart, taking a deep breath. "What happened out there?" 

Charlie held up on thin finger, cutting off any one from talking. "We can get to that. First, I want to know what the fuck is happening up there?" She pointed her finger up at the screen in front of them, showcasing a truck full of soldiers being rolled out, into the jungle. She noticed the guns right away, she knew they were packing nonlethals. "Someone want to tell me why we're not about to blow that dinosaur sky fucking high?"


	10. Chapter 10

_Four Years Ago_

“They’re pretty cute, ya know?” Charlie said, looking down at the Raptor den from her spot beside Owen, high up on a metal bridge overlooking the paddock. She was wearing an army green tank top and khaki shorts, strands of blonde hair escaping her ponytail in the breeze. “I mean, for a Dino that would bite my hand off if it got the chance,” she elbowed him in the side playfully.

"Hey now," He rolled his eyes at her, "If my training turns out well enough, they won't bite the hands off of anyone I don't tell them to," he looked down at the raptor pen, watching the four dinosaurs race around, tumbling over one another, still young, still small. Still easy enough to make an impression on, and they had imprinted on him already, which was the first step in the program. 

One of the raptors, Delta, ran underneath the leafy greens of a fern, letting out a chirp, her siblings looking up in surprise, trying to found out where the source had gone. They were playing. It honestly was very very cute. Stuff like this was half the reason she had came to work here. To see the miracles of nature, and help them all flourish as much as possible. Yea, there were life or death experiences every now and then. But seeing these dinosaurs, acting unaided as they would have in the wild, that made it all worth it every time.

"Oh," she laughed at Owen's response, "So what you're saying is I have to stay on your good side, then?" She turn to face him, sunlight splashing over her bare, tanned skin as she batted her eyes up at him. Shameful flirting, the two had always been so full of it.

"You could never be on my bad side, Saunders. Every side you have is a good one, even the one I see when you're walking away," He flashed a grin, wiggling his eyebrows up and down playfully.

Lightly, she punched him in the upper arm, rolling her eyes. "Perv," she muttered, but she stayed there, right beside him, turning back to face the pit, their arms pressed against one another. That had just been how the two always were. Endless playful banter, all in good humour of course. Everything between them had always just come so naturally. 

"Alright, stay right here, Saunders," Owen said suddenly, stepping away from the railing and walking off the bridge, taking the steps a couple at a time. She watched him go for a moment, before turning her attention back to the baby dinos in front of her (attention hogging little bastards, they were). She watched them race around, nipping playfully at one another's tails. It was easy to see their familial bond like this. It was easy to see why Owen liked working with them so much, why he really did enjoy his job. She wouldn't mind hanging out with these four dinos every day. Or having her own personal mini army. No one would ever try and fuck with her if she had her own raptors. She grinned at the thoughts.

Suddenly, hands came down on the outside of either of hers, a body pressing flush against her back. Her breath caught in her throat as Owen's lips came right beside her ear, whispering. "Want to feed them something?" She could feel his bear graze her neck as she imagine his lips coming down on her earlobe, sucking sweetly, then moving to her neck, his hands moving over hers, then to her tanktop, slipping underneath and moving over her bare skin. She almost let out a groan at the thought. 

Taking in a shaky breath, she managed to nod, too scared to speak, let alone open her mouth, lest the moan escape, her thoughts of sex with Owen being on full display for everyone around. She would never live _that_ down. 

Carefully, he turned one of her hands over with his own, placing a small piece of frozen meat in it. "Alright, I'm going to whistle, when I do, hold your hand up in the air, in a fist. They should all stand to attention. If they do, toss the piece down," he explained, backing away from her with a devilish grin on his lips. 

"Aye, aye, Captain," she gazed at him over her shoulder, before turning down to look at the circling raptors below her. When she heard Owen let out a sharp, shrill whistle, she held her hand up into the air, tight in a fist around the piece of meat. Below, all four raptors lined up in attention, staring up at her fist, eyes blinking rapidly, heads tilting as they studied her. After a beat, she gently dropped the piece inside, watching as Charlie, the raptor who shared her name, jumped in the air to snatch it. Owen tossed in three more pieces behind her, making sure each raptor got one for themselves. 

"That was ridiculously cool," Charlie laughed, grabbing at Owen for a quick hug of thanks. "You'll have to come by P Squared some time, see the neat tricks my little buddy can do." She thought of her Packy, back home by himself, and her heartstrings pulled a little bit. She hadn't seen him in over a day, and she missed him.

"I will definitely do that," Owen replied, squeezing her so tightly some of her back popped, and he laughed. "But that's all the tricks I have for now. Need to get more training done before I can really start to show off and impress you." He gave her a wink, then the two of them made their way off of the bridge. 

"Well, based on the notes you provided, I think they're doing great, and growing exactly as they should be. I'm recommending an additional supplement daily, I made note of the on the email overview I sent you." That had been the entire purpose of the visit, actually, doing her actual job. The fun part had come after her assessment had finished. "And," she let out a sigh later, "Drinks tonight?"

"A chance to wine and dine the infamous Charlie Saunders?" Owen teased, elbowing her lightly in the side as they took the stairs down two at the time, warm, ocean breeze blowing their direction. Owen Grady never passed up on the chance to spend time with Charlie, and everyone with eyes and ears knew that to be a fact. Those two were clearly so head over heels for one another and everyone recognized it, beside them. 

"Wine, dine, and reeeecline," She laughed, drawing out the last word playfully, brushing back some stray strands of blonde hair away from her face as the wind tried to sweep them into her vision.

"Well when you add that into the mix, how could I even think of saying no?" He asked teasingly, checking his watch. "Meet at Margaritaville in 50? Usual table?" He suggested. That would give both of them time to get home and shower off the days work. 

"Fifty sounds good to me," She replied, leaning against the door of her Jeep, not wanting to break away. The two stared at each other for a long moment of silence, before she turned and entered the car, driving away into the sunset.


End file.
